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An argument over access to data centre customers has spilled into a public spat, with Megaport founder Bevan Slattery accusing PIPE Networks – which he also founded and then sold to TPG Networks – of blocking access to customer connections in its data centres.

Yesterday, Megaport announced that it was suspending new orders from customers in PIPE Networks data centres, because it says PIPE won't let it make the connections.

In his post, Slattery says TPG Telecom is claiming that PIPE Networks' customers aren't “occupiers” of its data centres. If they had status as occupiers, then Megaport would have the right under Schedule 3 of the Telecommunications Act to make connections – without PIPE's consent.

Schedule 3, here, gives a carrier the power to install and maintain facilities (in this case, a cable from the customer's equipment to Megaport) even though it doesn't own the land. The argument has now been referred to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.

It's not the only complaint Megport is making: it also says PIPE and another TPG subsidiary, Soul Telecom, aren't providing it with information about their facilities “as required by Schedule 1 of the Telecommunications Act”. That complaint has gone to the Australian Communications and Media Authority.